LGD Behavior Issues

rachels.haven

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I've been having issues with my Komondor/Pyrenees cross puppy, Badger. He's 6 mo old, and around 80, maybe 90 pounds (too heavy to pick up and lift into a truck even rear or front at a time and can smash his paws into your chest now). Both parents were working with goats, chickens, alpacas, etc. Mom was about 80-90lbs, dad was a giant pyrenees.
Badger is fine with chickens most of the time.
A few months ago he started chasing goats. He caught one, held it down, and chewed its tail open. He would have killed it if I didn't stop him. Badger got uber punished and was no longer allowed in the goat pens without someone in arms reach and preferably him on a leash. I still keep him around goats, but he continues trying to beat them up and try to eat them.
Then he started going after the kids, so he can't be around kids unless there's an adult he respects present who is prepared to lay down the law FIRMLY again and again until he decides it's not wise to continue (usually only me).
Then he started trying to go after goats eating their alfalfa pellets in their buckets hung on the fence. He rips at the fence, damages it, and tries to rip their ears to get their heads out of the buckets, growing and snarling(there's usually food in his dish because it's around morning feeding time for EVERYONE). So he gets uber disciplined every time he approaches the fence while the goats are eating. The other dog just sits there and watches and (and gets frustration redirected at her when I don't let him misbehave, which she stops as soon as it reaches an annoying to her level). I've gotten it to the point he only does it when he can't see me, or thinks I can't stop him. This means I have to day in and day out stand over the goats or just out of the dog's sight until they are finished, ready to discipline the dog, who is getting rapidly larger, to prevent him from damaging the fencing and hurting goats in their own pens.

He tries to go after goats when they come out of the pens like they are prey or food-standard or dwarf, it doesn't matter.

It doesn't seem like this is changing even with consistency and me preventing the behavior. He just keeps at it like it's hard wired. Is he ever going to be trustworthy around livestock beyond chickens? Or people he knows? The worry that he's going to break into pens or stalls and kill goats for fun one day is starting to creep up on me. Will a dog that seems to want to treat animals like prey ever settle down and be trustworthy to live with stock? I'm starting to feel like I'm trying to turn a dog that's supposed to be a pet into a stock dog and maybe that the breeder shouldn't have thrown komodor into the mix. I know puppies are supposed to be crazy and nutty rule testers, but this is starting to seem a little excessive I'm concerned this isn't going to end well. What do I do? He's being more a goat liability than a goat protector. This doesn't feel like how things are supposed to go. My other LGD likes goats and little and weak things, but not for dinner. Is he ever going to change with training and even more consistency? Advice and honesty is welcome.
 

B&B Happy goats

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I removed that post so others wouldn't be offended, . I saw that you read it and got my message. Good luck with Badger and I hope you get him to be the LGD you want him to be :hugs
 

rachels.haven

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If I can't change the path he's on that's where we're headed.

The problem is, my other dog gets depressed without another dog to be with, even if I bring her in the house she is not meant to be an only. So I'd have to start looking for another friend and more unknown for my sweet girl. It would probably be a relief in the end, but I'm not sure I should be done working and trying on this guy yet...but I also don't want dead goats.
 

Mini Horses

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It's a hard and sad road you now travel. I understand the emotions for all. :hugs Consider would a new home for Badger and another friend for your other dog work better for each of you? Especially Badger. I would still remove him.

I wish you the best outcome.
 

Beekissed

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How do people get LGD's then? Are the puppies just always calm and usually calm to their charges?

It's important, when you choose a puppy, that you choose one that has the energy level and demeanor that is what you are looking for. That is, if you get a chance to actually CHOOSE the pup from among his litter mates. Cesar Milan has an excellent vid and you can still find it online here and there if you do a search, about how to choose a medium level energy puppy.

Here's a little snippet of one such video, but he has a book and a whole episode of how he chose the pups of each breed he was raising for the purpose of demonstrating how to raise a pup...


Did you do any kind of obedience/alpha training with this pup at all when he arrived at your place? If not, you'll have to go back to square one and start that, being consistent every day and with every correction. Instead of reactive training, you can start proactive training, which is always preferable and more effective. You've got to recognize the signs of his eminent misbehavior before he actually does it, so you can intercept and correct while he can still be redirected from it.

Until then, you'll likely need to tether this pup~NOT pen him~so he cannot reach the goats but can observe how the elder dog works with them. Take him off the tether each day and work with him around the goats, giving a quick and hard correction for any overt attention towards the goats....your goal is for him to remain calm around them at all times, no matter what is happening~feeding, playing, etc.

One good training tip is to make him lie down and stay lying down, calm...not moving or trying to get away...as the goats are moved around him, near him and even over top of him as you pet them, feed them, etc. And I mean all the way down, on his side or even on his back....submissive to the goats~and you~at all times. You may need another person to help you with that one.

If, after some intensive training with him on all things and you see no improvement, I'd get rid of him and start with a better prospect. Life is too short to put up with hard head and aggression when there are plenty of really nice LGDs out there who will be a lifetime partner with you.
 

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